Category Archives: Inclusive Communities

Celebrate MLK Day!

civil rights, Inclusive Communities, MLK Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and serves as a reminder of his significant contributions to the Civil Rights movement and his lasting impact on the social landscape of our country today.

In communities throughout Vermont, folks come together to reflect and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s commitment to justice. More than just a day off from work, this holiday is a time to invest in our neighborhoods and to consider how we can continue to fulfill his mission of a more equitable country.

Here are some events you can plug into.

  • Sunday, January 15, 2023, 3:00pm: Join the Greater Burlington Multicultural Resource Center this Sunday for the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Remembrance. Dr. Deborah Archer, president of the ACLU, professor of clinical law and director of the Civil Rights Clinic at New York University School of Law, and co-faculty director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU Law, will be the key note speaker. You can find more information about the event here https://gbmrc.org/mlk2023/

  • Monday, January 16 | 10 am – 5 pm: The ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain invites the community to join for their 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. Through musical performances, the City of Hope: Resurrection City and the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign temporary exhibit, and visual art and spoken word activities curated by The Clemmons Family Farm’s network of Vermont African-American/African Diaspora Artists, guests will explore this year’s theme, We Are the Dream: Affirming the Legacy of Martin Luther King through A Day of Art and Celebration. Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in walk-up craft activities curated by ECHO and a civil rights panel curated by the Greater Burlington Multicultural Center. https://www.echovermont.org/events-programs/mlk-day/

  • Thursday, January 26, 2023 | 4:00-5:30 PM At the University of Vermont, the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion invites you to join the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Keynote with Carolyn Finney, Ph.D. Carolyn is a story teller, author and a cultural geographer who is deeply interested in issues related to identity, differences, creativity and resilience. Lecture will be followed by Q&A and a book signing. This year’s celebration will also include musical guests Dwight + Nicole. Reserve your tickets here https://www.uvm.edu/diversity/signature-events/mlk

  • The Vermont Law School is celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m., and invites community members to join a panel discussion. Panelists will speak on “What Does an Equitable Legal System Look Like in Vermont?” In particular, the panelists will reflect on the recent statistical findings that stated in 2019, “black people were over three times more likely to be defendants in a misdemeanor case and almost six times more likely to be defendants in a felony case compared to white people.” More information can be found here https://www.vermontlaw.edu/2023-Dr-Martin-Luther-King-Day-Celebration

  • Monday January 16, 2023 9:00am – 8:00pm: Saint Michael’s College will host a full day of programming to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including exploring children’s literature that celebrates Black joy. a conversation about how Dr. King’s Legacy contributes to the creation of a beloved community, a student panel discussion, and more. Check out the full list of events here https://www.smcvt.edu/event/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-day-of-celebration/

Martin Luther King Day may be relegated to one day each year,  but it is important to remember that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy lives on – his advocacy and preaching never looses relevance in our day-to-day activities.

At CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project, we are keenly reminded on this day of MLK’s enduring impact on housing equality. His assassination served as the final push to pass the Fair Housing Act of April 1968. On MLK Day, we invite you to look at our regional, state, and federal housing policies with scrutiny, and ask what more can we do to further housing equality. It is never too early to start preparing for Fair Housing Month! Please be in touch to learn how you can be a leader in Fair Housing activities this spring.

ATTN Vermont Housing Committees: This conference is for you!

affordable housing, housing committee, Inclusive Communities, Municipal and Regional Planning, Vermont, zoning

Limited conference scholarships available for Housing Committee members: Nov. 11 deadline

VHFA’s 2022 Vermont Statewide Housing Conference is Wednesday, Nov. 16 in Burlington. The day includes an exciting lineup of interactive sessions that cover policy tools, community case studies, and strategies for pulling together the pieces needed to solve Vermont’s big housing problems. 

Among the highlights:

  • This year’s theme is “What YOU can do to help solve the housing crisis”
  • Keynote speaker Cornell Professor Sara Bronin will discuss her work on how law and policy can foster more equitable, sustainable, and connected places.
  • The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO is facilitating a special session for local Housing Committees with co-hosts Katie Ballard (Essex/Essex Junction Joint Housing Commission), Eric Durocher (Dover & Wilmington Bi-Town Housing Committee), Saudia Lamont (Lamoille Working Communities Challenge Housing Committee), and Sarah Martel (Thetford Housing Committee).

“Making change at the local level: Housing committee roundtable” will bring together members of housing committees from all over the state to discuss common challenges and opportunities, share innovative practices and policies, and brainstorm ways to collaborate with and learn from each other. This facilitated, attendee-driven session is intended for members of active and developing housing committees (municipal housing commissions, community groups focused on affordable housing, and everything in between). It’s a way to learn from other groups with similar goals, share your successes, and identify solutions to common challenges, such as refinement of mission, funding, cross-sector collaboration, equity and representation, member recruitment, community outreach, affordable housing messaging, and more. Through small group and full group discussion, attendees will gain a better understanding of the breadth and depth of housing committee activities, pinpoint specific and actionable next steps in their communities, and identify gaps in resources, information, and support. The session is facilitated by Jess Hyman of CVOEO with co-hosts from the four different Housing Committees . 

The Housing Committee session is just one of more than a dozen workshops throughout the day that include opportunities to learn about the latest tools and best practices related to housing affordability and inclusivity. And, since making new connections and renewing existing ones are critical to putting ideas into practice, there will be plenty of networking breaks and a late afternoon reception overlooking beautiful Lake Champlain.

Register for the conference here.

The Fair Housing Project has a limited number of full registration scholarships available for housing committee members. To request a scholarship, please email fhp@cvoeo.org with “Conference Scholarship” in the subject line. The request deadline is Friday, Nov. 11. For municipal housing committees and participants who work for housing-related organizations, we ask that you first check to see if your town/city/organization can cover the registration fee.

We’re looking forward to seeing you on the 16th!

And here’s a great resource for Housing Committees: https://housingdata.org/toolbox/steps-for-municipalities/housing-committees

VT Student Anti-Racism Network launches 2022 racial equity report

environmental justice, fair housing, finance and race, housing discrimination, housing inequality, Inclusive Communities, racial discrimination, Vermont

VSARN (Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network) launched its Racial Equity Report at a virtual press conference on Monday, Aug. 29. VSARN is a Vermont-wide coalition of high school and college students working to combat racial inequities in the state. 

The cover of the Racial Equity Report, authored by VSARN

The report includes recommendations to improve racial inequities in Vermont, including revising state curricula for schools to be culturally inclusive, anti-racist, and multicultural and prioritizing restorative justice practices in schools.

Monday’s event opened with comments from the report’s authors, Emily Maikoo, Addie Lentzner, and Minelle Sarfo Adu, and illustrator, Isabella Ingegneri – all of whom are Vermont high schoolers or new college students. Also present were Saudia LaMont, a candidate for the Vermont House, and Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun (D-Westminster) who congratulated the authors on their work, commenting that they were working to fill an educational gap in Vermont schools. Rep. Bos-Lun noted that the report includes recommendations that she hopes to incorporate into future legislative efforts in the Vermont House, in particular restorative justice in schools. The event concluded with questions from the audience.

Minelle Sarfo Adu of South Burlington, a freshman at Antioch University and past CVOEO/Thriving Communities intern, spoke about racial discrimination in housing – noting that BIPOC families are much less likely to be homeowners in Vermont and are disproportionately impacted by rapidly rising rents. 

Two of the report’s authors, Addie Lentzner and Emily Maikoo, with report illustrator Isabella Ingegneri, Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, and Vermont House candidate Saudia LaMont, who all spoke at the launch.

Report highlights

In addition to the recommendations to improve racial inequities in Vermont through changes to policing, criminal legal reform, youth justice efforts, educational curriculum, economic justice, housing equity and supports, healthcare reform, and broad trauma-informed education and anti-bias training, the report includes:

  • A brief history of racism and slavery in Vermont and its impact on housing discrimination, healthcare, and criminal justice.
  • The results of the authors’ survey of students at Mount Anthony Union High School, in Bennington, Vt. Key findings included:
    • 79% of respondents said they dis not get a substantial education on race and racism in elementary school
    • 42% of respondents had experienced microaggressions in interactions with teachers
    • 50% of respondents said that is is hard to live in Vermont because of its lack of diversity
  • Read the full report at the VSARN website

And check out press coverage of the launch at VTDigger and WCAX! 

Assistance animals are not pets

disability, housing inequality, Inclusive Communities, reasonable accommodation

This post was also published as a commentary in VTDigger.

The recent VTDigger article “‘All I have left’: The struggle of seeking shelter with pets” highlighted the challenges of equitable housing access for people with pets and assistance animals.

The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity’s Fair Housing Project and the Vermont Tenants Hotline receive a lot of questions related to assistance animals from renters and also from housing and service providers around the state. I’m writing to share some information about fair housing rights for people with disabilities, provide resources for anyone experiencing discrimination in their housing, and advocate for a shift in how transitional housing providers accommodate both assistance animals and pets.

First of all, and most importantly, assistance animals are not pets. They are a special class of animal protected under the Fair Housing Act, which includes service animals, companion animals, emotional support animals, and therapy animals. Assistance animals do not need to be specially trained and can be any reasonable animal. This is much broader than public accommodations for service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which must be trained to do work or perform tasks that are directly related to an individual’s disability.

Anyone with a disability (physical, mental or in recovery from addiction) has the right to request a reasonable accommodation to have an animal that helps the person have full use and enjoyment of their home. The animal may provide assistance, perform tasks or provide emotional support to alleviate a symptom or effect of the person’s disability. There must be a nexus between the disability and the need for the animal. Housing providers can ask for documentation from a medical or service professional, but they cannot ask the nature of the disability.

Housing providers must respond to the requests in a timely fashion and cannot say no to a reasonable accommodation request just because of a “no pet” policy, and charging a fee or a pet deposit for an assistance animal is against the law. Visit the HUD website for information on what constitutes “reasonable.”

There is much legal debate about whether shelters and short-term transitional lodging are covered under the Fair Housing Act, which would allow all types of assistance animals, or just under ADA, which only allows trained service animals. No matter what, motels are always covered under the ADA and must allow service animals.

At CVOEO, we know it is difficult for people who are low-income, people with disabilities, and especially people experiencing homelessness to navigate and afford to have a trained service animal under the ADA. We firmly believe that transitional housing should at minimum follow fair housing rules for assistance animals and ideally allow pets as well. We strongly encourage motels and service providers who are receiving public funds to recognize the critical role animals have in the lives of the people we serve and to foster environments for people — and their animals — to live in safety and with dignity.

More resources and how to get help:

Juneteenth: What is it? And where to celebrate in Vermont?

civil rights, Inclusive Communities, Juneteenth
A flyer for Winooski’s 2022 Juneteenth Celebration

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st, 1863, it was not until June 19th, 1865 – approximately two months after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered – that enslaved African Americans in Texas learnt of their freedom. The date has been celebrated ever since, first in Galveston, Texas and later in other parts of the country.

The holiday has grown in prominence since the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in 2020 and ensuing national protests against white supremacy, which cemented the push to make it a federal holiday. President Biden signed the bill naming Juneteenth a federal holiday in June 2021, making it the 11th holiday recognized by the federal government.

Even though slavery was officially ended more than 150 years ago, the legacies of slavery, and of white supremacy more broadly, continue to affect the lives of Black Americans today – including with respect to housing. Nationally, just 44.1% of Black Americans own their homes, compared with 74.5% of white Americans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The racial gap in home ownership is even more pronounced in Vermont, where just 21% of Black households are homeowners, less than half of the national average. In comparison, 72% of white Vermonters own their homes. Black renters also face discrimination: they are less likely to get a response to enquiries about available apartments, making it harder to even rent an apartment in the first place. Recently launched programs in Vermont, including a new homeownership equity program by Champlain Housing Trust aimed at BIPOC households, are hoping to reduce this homeownership gap (read more here).

How is it celebrated?

Early Juneteenth celebrations often involved prayer and small family events, where food was an important part. Celebrations have grown in recent years, with many cities hosting large events such as festivals and parades. Vermont became the 29th state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday in 2008 and today events are held across the state to mark and celebrate the date – we’ve put together a roundup of some of them below!

Learn more: The Carpenter-Carse Library in Hinesburg has collated a Juneteenth reading and resources list with great suggestions for all ages – check it out here if you’re interested in learning more about Juneteenth!

A book about Juneteenth by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Drew Nelson, available at public libraries in Vermont

Where can I celebrate Juneteenth in Vermont?

A variety of organizations, communities, and museums are hosting Juneteenth events across Vermont this year. Here’s a round-up: 

Burlington’s “Juneteenth: A Love Story” event
  • Event: Juneteenth, A Love Story, Friday June 17 – Sunday, June 19
  • Location: Various locations across Burlington
  • More info: https://www.btvreib.com/about-4

Vermont Racial Justice Alliance Campaign Launch and Community Cookout
Southwest Vermont Juneteenth Celebration, Bennington
The Black Experience 2022
Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village, Brownington
Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh (free admission on June 19!)
Clemmons Family Farm, Charlotte

 

Winooski’s Juneteenth Celebration
Essex Juneteenth
NAACP Juneteenth Hair Clinics, Rutland
Juniper Creative & VT Human Rights Commission Community Paint Day
  • Event: Fair Housing Mural Community Paint Day, noon-3pm Sunday, June 19
  • Location: 81 Pearl St., Burlington (Hong’s Dumplings/Leonardo’s building)
  • More info: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce5NypxOZlx/

Fair Housing Month Recap:

affirmatively furthering fair housing, affordable housing, April Fair Housing Month, civil rights, fair housing fridays, housing crisis, Inclusive Communities, zoning, ,

Thank you for celebrating Fair Housing Month this past April with the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO and statewide partners. This year’s Fair Housing Month was full of community and creative activities all over the state. More than 1,800  people participated in virtual workshops, community conversations via Zoom, Fair Housing Friday discussions, art projects, and other events. These activities went far beyond the basics of fair housing and included discussion on ways to make our towns and cities more welcoming, issues related to housing access and homelessness, and how to address community housing needs. 

Here’s an overview of the month’s activities and links to event recordings, and more information:

  • ART: A new partnership with Arts So Wonderful brought Fair Housing curriculum to its youth-lead Youth On Boards event, and invited artists to depict their visions of thriving inclusive communities through visual art, poetry, and music. You can check out their submissions here. And congratulations to Norzin Mentsang, Celeste Forcier and Brynn Barrett, the first, second and third prize winners for the art contest! 
  • The HeART & Home Community Art Project included home-based activities that communities and families participated in across the state.
    • 26 libraries and 14 housing and community sites distributed nearly 1,000 art kits containing watercolor paints and brushes, collage cut-outs, thoughtful prompts, and fair housing resources. 
    • The Bent Northrop Memorial Library partnered  with the Fairfield Center School and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission to distribute art kits and host an exhibit at art reception at the library. You can view some photos of the more than 50 pieces of art on display at the library here!
    • In partnership with the Vermont Garden Network, we provided HeART & Home art kits  to the community of South Meadow (an affordable housing site off of Pine Street in Burlington), where residents and volunteers were building a natural playscape. Families and children took  breaks from the project  to reflect on home and housing through art.
    • CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project displayed newly designed panels featuring updated protected class iconography, ways to become an advocate, and a brief history of Fair Housing at Burlington City Hall. You can see these panels (with original art by Corrine Yonce) here. 
  • LIBRARY EVENTS: We again partnered with the Vermont Department of Libraries to bring Fair Housing curriculum across the state. Libraries are essential centers of our communities, providing physical and virtual spaces for information, support, and connections. In addition to accessing art kits, children and adults from all over the state took part in StoryWalks and joined Fair Housing book groups, including Story Boat by Kyo Maclear, Evicted by Matthew Desmond, and Race for Profit by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. 
    • CVOEO also facilitated the continuation of the Vermont Department of Library housing discussion series, joined by the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition,  the Vermont Human Rights Commission, and Vermont Legal Aid to discuss housing justice, the how the state is addressing the current housing crisis, and how librarians can best connect people who are experiencing evictions to local and statewide resources and service. Watch the recording and access the resources here.
    • ONGOING: See the Fair Housing resources for libraries, including a reading list, here 
  • WORKSHOPS: An assortment of workshops offered deep dives into discrimination and equity with opportunities for the general public, landlords, and municipal officials to learn about fair housing rights and responsibilities and discuss issues related to harassment and hate crimes. 
  • FAIR HOUSING FRIDAYS: These sessions are discussions among affordable housing advocates, community leaders, policymakers, and service providers about housing inclusivity. The interactive conversations provide a space to reflect on what we are doing in our community that is working to further housing equity and what policies out there might we consider to do better as housing experts, legislators, advocates, and community members. This year’s topics were Is Building More the Cure?, The Opportunities and Challenges of Mobile Home Communities, and Why Aren’t We Building the Housing We Need? Watch the recording here.
  • VERMONT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION EVENTS:
    • VAHC April Community Meeting Community Meeting: #Housed802 meetings are an opportunity for VAHC to facilitate a discussion with community members about legislative opportunities to advocate for affordable, inclusive housing. You can find the recording here.
    • In the House: In this episode of the monthly VAHC hosted conversation, VAHC Director David Martins has a conversation with Jess Hyman from CVOEO about Fair Housing Month: What is it? Where does it come from? What does it have to do with Vermonters in 2022? You can find the recording here. 

The Fair Housing Act, passed in April 1968, put into law critical protections against discrimination and harassment in housing and sought to repair and redress historical patterns of housing segregation. April was a time to celebrate these protections and highlight the positive and essential role that affordable, inclusive housing plays in our communities. However, it’s important to recognize that exclusion and discrimination still exist in Vermont and that we must continue the fight to ensure that everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable homes, free from discrimination, exclusion, and harassment.

Where we live matters – it’s connected to how we get to work, access healthcare, where our children go to school, and our physical environment. Stable, safe, and affordable homes provide the foundation for vibrant and thriving communities and there is a strong correlation between housing opportunity and health disparities, especially for people of color and others who experience discrimination. This has been especially relevant during the pandemic and we will continue to see these inequities as pandemic-related housing supports are reduced. 

 What is Fair Housing?

Fair Housing is the right to equal opportunity in housing choice and the right to rent, buy, or live in a dwelling free from discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and family status. Vermont has additional protections based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and denial of development permitting based on the income of prospective residents. For more information about fair housing in Vermont, visit www.cvoeo.org/FHP, call 802-660-3456 x 106, or email fhp@cvoeo.org.

Thank you to our Fair Housing Month Partners and Sponsors!

Fair Housing Month activities in Vermont are coordinated by the Fair Housing Project of CVOEO, in collaboration with Vermont Department of Libraries, Vermont Library Association, ONE Arts Center, Arts So Wonderful, Burlington City Arts, Vermont Legal Aid, Vermont Human Rights Commission,

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, CEDO, Vermont Garden Network, and other partners. 

These activities are made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Library activities are supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, through the Library Service and Technology Act as administered by the Vermont Department of Libraries.

We are grateful to these “Champions of Affordable, Inclusive Housing” event sponsors: Farrell Properties, Vermont State Housing Authority, Redstone, Main Street Landing, Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Evernorth, Cathedral Square, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and Pomerleau Real Estate. 

In (or Out of) “The Zone”

Chittenden County, Chittenden County VT, fair housing, housing crisis, housing discrimination, Housing Inequality, inclusionary zoning, Inclusive Communities, zoning,

This guest blog post features Mark Demers, Landlord Liaison at the Champlain Valley of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). Mark helps build relationships with landlords across Chittenden County so that we at CVOEO can strengthen our practices of assisting people with their housing needs. Mark reflects on the way zoning laws can be restrictive to inclusive housing, and the impact that might have on the overall community.  Zoning laws have been used to restrict affordable housing and perpetuate the racial wealth gap. Historically, this has been intentional, with the “protection” that he refers to in his letter being for white people. If you are interested in digging deeper into the topic of zoning and equity, this webinar hosted by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University is a good place to start.

In (or Out of) “The Zone”

I walked into the bedroom and saw my three-year-old sitting on the floor with his back up against his bed, his knees pulled up tight to his chest. His ten-year-old brother with whom he shared the room, was seated at a desk working on a model airplane.

“Why don’t you play with your toys?” I asked the little one.

“I can’t play with my toys,” he said.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t go past the line to get them.”

I learned that a policy had recently been put in force in the bedroom. The three-year-old was allowed to be in the room as long as he stayed on his “side”, which consisted of the real estate bordered by the wall his bed rested against and a line that ran parallel, about two feet away from the edge of the bed where he currently was sitting. The line was invisible; but it was rigorously enforced by the older brother. The youngest had access to about 15% of the space in the room. He was granted a right-of-way from the door of the bedroom to his “side”.

My youngest was experiencing the inequity of an unjust zoning ordinance – a policy over which he had little control and less say.

In her book “Fixer Upper”, Jenny Schuetz lays significant blame for the current housing crunch across the nation on zoning laws that are as restrictive as they are complicated. Communities are diverse in both their demography and their geography, thus the plethora of zoning not just from one town to another, but from one neighborhood to the next. Burlington is no exception.

Who can be expected to remember the difference between the NMU and the NAC; or the NAC-RC and the NAC-CR? We have RH’s, RM’s, RM-Ws, RL’s and RL-W’s. Each of these designate specific sections of the city and are accompanied by regulations for what can or cannot be built within their boundaries.

Zoning laws are designed to protect something – like wetlands or waterfronts or fabulous views or recreation areas. They protect the character of neighborhoods, keeping them “low density” (“RL”) or “historic” in appearance. Unfortunately, as my youngest son experienced, these laws can do more than protect resources or appearances. They become barriers – as impermeable as they are invisible – that prevent the construction of needed housing or prohibit certain people from living there.

We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We don’t have to look far to see what happens when polluting activities are allowed to go unrestrained on fragile lands. The clean-up takes years and costs millions. We also have to ask ourselves the question: Do we want our children to be able to afford to live here? Burlington doesn’t have room to “build out” and if I read our current zoning laws right, there are not many places where we can “build up”. Something is going to have to give.

I don’t envy those in power faced with the task of mitigating the current housing crisis. My three-year-old son had the benefit of a dad whose authority was enough to adjust oppressive lines that had been arbitrarily set by the bedroom zoning ordinance. The lines drawn in and between our neighborhoods present more of a challenge. They have the power of decades of inertia behind them. But if we are going to have housing that is affordable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible, some of those lines are going to have to move. That’s not just a job for civic leaders; it’s a project that will demand careful thought, compromise – and dare I say it – sacrifice from us all.

 

If you are a landlord or property manager or want to comment on this article, please feel free to give me a call – 863-6248  x 755 or send me an email – mdemers@cvoeo.org.